Advanced Composites Research Group

Members

Professor Stephen C. Hawkins

Deputy Director

Academic Staff

Professor Stephen C. Hawkins has a strong record of research achievement at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia’s premier multidisciplinary national research agency, where he was awarded the prestigious CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement and the Nanotechnology Victoria Prize for Innovation in 2006. In September 2013 Professor Hawkins was appointed as Professor at Queen’s University Belfast, UK, and holds an adjunct Professorship at Monash University, Australia. Professor Hawkins is directly responsible for the design and construction of the reactors and the processes used by CSIRO to produce the uniquely useful ‘directly spinnable CNTs’. This skill was brought to QUB where, in September 2014, the capability to grow directly spinnable CNTs was established and demonstrated there for the first time. Establishment of a facility to synthesise very high specification carbon nanotubes within an aerospace engineering school brings together the skills to make this revolutionary material and to apply it to the further development of CFRP composites with enhanced properties and functionalities. This is of critical interest to the nationally important UK Aerospace Industry and is a unique capability in Europe. Prof Hawkins has a very broad experience in CNT related topics, including synthesis, process development, and operation of CNTs for different applications.